FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2010
DNR to hold informational meeting about Newberry Hill reconveyance
Kitsap County requests transfer of state land near Newberry Hill Park; Reconveyance to county ownership is topic of October 19 meeting in Silverdale
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold an informational meeting in Silverdale on October 19 about Kitsap County’s request to obtain a parcel of State Forest Transfer Trust land bordering Newberry Hill Park. Under state law, a county may request transfer of certain State Forest Transfer Trust lands from state to county ownership for public park use.
| DATE: | Tuesday, October 19, 2010 |
| TIME: | 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. |
| PLACE: | Klahowya Secondary School |
| | 7607 Northwest Newberry Hill Road |
| | Silverdale, Washington 98383 |
The parcel of approximately 315 acres is currently managed by DNR to produce natural resources revenue that helps support Kitsap County services.
If DNR determines that the Kitsap County reconveyance request is consistent with the State’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, the request will be presented to the state Board of Natural Resources at a regularly scheduled meeting. A reconveyance requires the Board’s approval; if approved, the conveyed land becomes county property.
Additional information is available on DNR’s website: www.dnr.wa.gov. Look for Proposed Newberry Hill Reconveyance. The direct link to the web page and a map of the proposed reconveyance parcel is: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/BusinessPermits/Topics/OtherLandTransactions/Pages/amp_newberry_hill_reconveyance.aspx
About DNR
DNR manages more than 5.6 million acres of state land. Several million acres were granted at statehood to provide revenue for various institutions in the new state. The trust beneficiaries of these lands include K-12 public schools and universities. An additional 546,000 acres that DNR manages are State Forest Transfer Trust lands – mostly forestland – acquired by 21 counties during the 1920s and 1930s through tax foreclosures. Counties deeded those lands to the state to manage for revenue to support services in the counties where they are located.
In all, DNR manages:
- 2.9 million acres of trust lands, including forest, range, agricultural land, and commercial properties that earn revenue to build public schools, universities, prisons, and other state institutions, and help fund Westside county services.
- 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands: the bedlands under Puget Sound and the coast, many beaches, and navigable natural lakes and rivers.
- 133,000 acres of natural areas that protect rare and threatened species as well as high-quality examples of the native ecosystems and landscapes of Washington.
Media Contact: Bob Redling, Senior Communications Manager, 360-902-1149, bob.redling@dnr.wa.gov
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